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John Swire m.f,h,

M. Delton, Paris.]

THE LATE M. JULES THEODORE PELLIER.
Professeur d'cquitation au Manege Pellier, Rue Chalgrin, Paris.

{Front is piece. To face Preface.

Anglo - French Horsemanship

by
JOHN SWIRE, M.F.H.

London :
VINTON & CO., Ltd.,

8, BREAM'S BUILDINGS, CHANCERY LANE, E.C.

PREFACE

The International Horse Shows of 1907 and
1908 having proved that Continental methods
of horse training give excellent results, I take
the liberty of publishing this small volume, the
contents of which are the outcome of several
years' study and practice, undertaken with the
object of finding out to what extent the higher
training of the riding schools in London and
Paris, based on the teaching of the best
authorities, is of practical use in open air
horsemanship, and in helping to make a horse
into a good hack and hunter.

J. Swire, M.F.H.

Hillingdon,
Harlow,
Essex.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. page

The Selection of a Horse— Personal liking— Disposition
—The head— Feet— Legs— Angle formed by
shoulder and arm — Requirements in a hunter —
Quarters, angles formed by various bones — The
stifle, hocks and thighs— Movement— Compensa-
tions and proportion — Lady's horse — Indications
of seat of lameness... ... ... ••• ••• 1

CHAPTER II.

Saddle mid Bridle— -The bit, width of mouthpiece and
position in mouth — Curb chain— Sensibility of
mouth — Construction and suitability of bit — How
to increase its power — Baucher bradoon — Pelham
bit — Martingales — Noseband s — Saddle, monkey
strap ... ... ••• •••

13

CHAPTER III.

Seat, Legs a?id Spurs— Seat— Use of legs— Knee grip-
Suppleness— Sitting a restive horse— Keeping well
down in the saddle— Spurs, their use— Collecting
ahorse 22

CHAPTER IV.

Hands— Meaning of " Hands "—Bearing on bit, or

refusing to face it — Suppleness of hands and arms

—Length of rein— Handling a fidgety horse— How

to bring the bit into action — Shortening the reins

V

CONTENTS

PAGE

— A lady's hack — ■" Good hands" — Raising and
lowering horse's head — Mobility of lower jaw —
Shying — How to hold the reins — Turning corners
— Two schools of horsemanship — Advantage of
making a horse's mouth with the legs — Principal
duty of the hand, knees and legs — Position of
hand — double feeling on a rein — Control with one
hand ... ... ... ... ... ... 32

CHAPTER V.

Training a Horse — The hack — Object of training —
Chief road to success — Rider's voice — Tact —
Impulsion — Teaching the horse to yield the lower
jaw and bend the neck — Pivoting round — Making
a horse light in hand — The " passage " — Changing
the leg in the canter — A cause of stumbling — A
good hack — The walk and trot — Different effects
of the reins — The canter — Punishment — Rearing
— The hunter — Teaching to jump — Use of hands
and legs — How to make a horse get up at his
fences — Refusing — Riding to hounds — Riding a
strange horse — Riding at a jump — Resolution
necessary — French method of teaching a horse to
jump — Hunting seat — Stopping a puller ... ... 51

CHAPTER VI.

Special Work in the Riding School — The " Haute
Ecole," its practical use — The Spanish walk and
trot — How to teach them — Leg and spur work
■ — Diagonal use of hands and legs ... ... 71

APPENDIX.

M. Baucher and his training ... ... ... ... 79

VI

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The late Mr. Jules Theodore Pellier, Rue

Chalgrin, Paris . . . Frontispiece

To face page
Diagram : Angles and Plumb Lines . . 6

Diagram : Relative Proportions

Changing the Leading Leg in the Canter

Sitting and Handling a Rearing Horse .

Handling a Dangerous Rearer

Easing the Hands after Clearing a Jump

The " Piaffer " or Passage " en place " .

The First Lesson in Teaching the Spanish
Walk

Preparatory Lesson for the Spanish Walk

The Spanish Walk .....

The Spanish Trot .....

ii
61
63
65
67

7i

73

74
76

78

Anglo-French Horsemanship

CHAPTER I

THE SELECTION OF A HORSE

In choosing a horse that indefinable feeling of
personal liking for the animal is of the greatest
importance, as it helps to tide over many
subsequent troubles. Horses do not remain
always sound and useful, and, if a man dislikes
his horse, he seldom has patience with his
faults, or sympathy with him when he is unable
to do work ; and in many cases for his own
peace of mind decides to part with him at a
considerable loss, whereas, if he has personal
liking for him, he even takes pleasure in
nursing him through an illness, and is always
ready to make the best of him, and to find
compensations for his defects ; but as a horse's
usefulness depends so much on his conformation
and soundness, a man who wishes to take his
relaxation in riding and hunting will make
himself acquainted with the points in a horse's

I B

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

make, which require especial examination by
himself and a veterinary, and, when good, more
or less guarantee the horse's usefulness for any
particular purpose, and by giving room for the
proper working of internal organs, contribute
to the horse's peace of mind and cheerfulness.

A horse should be courageous, generous,
and impulsive, and of thoroughly sound constitu-
tion ; and it is with these essentials in mind
that we will look at him. As the eyes give the
best indication of disposition, they are the first
point the intending purchaser should look at. A
good eye is full, lustrous, of good size, medium
convexity, mobile and kindly in expression.
Horses with small sunk eyes like a pig have
seldom a nice disposition ; those whose eyes are
too prominent, like a buck's, and not mobile, are
generally short-sighted and inclined to shy. A
veterinary has only to give an opinion on the
soundness of the eyes ; it is for the purchaser to
draw conclusions as to character from them.

Having satisfied ourselves that the animal
has a good disposition, let us examine the head
and see that he is wide between the eyes, and
that the ears are a moderate distance apart. If
too close, he will probably be nervous, if too
wide apart, bull-headed ; he should also prick
his ears nicely, and fix his attention on what is

2

THE SELECTION OF A HORSE

in front. When put at a fence, this should be
especially noticed. A forehead that projects
usually indicates a very determined horse,
though perhaps a grand hunter if allowed to
go his own way. A horse with a concave fore-
head, one that " dips in," is to be avoided, as he
may be foolish and queer-tempered.

Whilst examining the head, we should
notice whether it is put on right, and whether
there is plenty of room between the jaw bones
for his windpipe, etc., also we should see if the
pipe itself feels big, and hangs free of the neck.

The neck should be of a moderate length,
neither long nor short, nicely arched and thick
through, especially behind the ears — a sign of
good constitution.

The next point to examine is the feet. If
the feet are not right, have nothing to do with
the horse, as he won't be pleasant to ride.
Both fore feet should be the same size, round
and strong-looking, not over-high or low at the
heel, when viewed from the side, and the
coronary band just above the hoof should be
well developed, soft and springy to the touch,
as it is from this part that the horn of the hoof
draws its nourishment. The sole of the foot
should be concave — convexity points to disease
— the frog large and healthy, the heels should

3 b 2

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

show no sign of wiring in, and the size of the
feet should be in proportion to the size of the
bone of the leg and pastern.

The tendons of the legs should be clean and
large, and stand well out from the bone, which
should be flat, i.e., looking wide from the side,
and somewhat narrow from the front.

The knees and hocks should also be broad
and deep, and the pasterns of the forelegs of
moderate length and of a nice slope, the distance
from knee to fetlock being short. The hind
pasterns should not be long and sloping, but on
the contrary rather short and strong.

Being satisfied with the feet and legs, let us
have a look at his body : prefer nice sloping,
muscular shoulders, running well into the back,
long from the withers to the point, and not
loaded nor thick at either end. As the horse
walks past you the point of the shoulder should
not appear to stick out unduly ; if it does the
horse will be cramped and stilted in his action
and not worth buying for a hunter. We must
not be content with examining only the slope of
the shoulder ; it is of great importance that the
humerus, i.e., the bone between the point of the
shoulder and the elbow, should be only mode-
rately oblique, the elbow low and free of the
horse's side, and the forelegs placed well

4

THE SELECTION OF A HORSE

forward, so that a plumb-line dropped from the
point of the shoulder touches the toe.

A fair indication as to the good placing of
the shoulder is the position of the groove under-
neath the horse into which the girth fits ; this
should be well back from the elbow, say,
9 inches ; if it is near the elbow, the shoulder
is almost certain to be straight, since as a
general rule a horizontal arm, and consequently
an elbow too near the girth groove, accom-
panies a straight shoulder. It must be remem-
bered that the shoulder blade is quite distinct
from the withers, and it does not follow because
the withers are high and run well into the
back that the shoulder is a good one, and
a nice sloping, well-developed, light shoulder
often accompanies a low wither. Each point
must be examined separately, but a line drawn
from the highest point of the withers to the
point of the shoulder generally gives the slope
of the shoulder, and a vertical line dropped
from the highest point of the withers should
pass behind the elbow, when the horse is
standing naturally. As before said, it is impor-
tant that the arm from the shoulder point to
the elbow should not be very oblique ; horses
with high knee action, that do not get over
the ground, will generally be found to have

5

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

an excessively oblique arm, forming an angle of
45 degrees and under, though in many cases
they may have a beautiful sloping shoulder.

To judge a shoulder, have the horse walked
and trotted past ; and notice as he moves away,
first whether the point is light and not promi-
nent, then whether the elbow is low, well
developed, and free from the side, and whether
the shoulder point and arm move freely. The
slope of the shoulder is of minor importance,
though one well laid back is preferable so long
as it accompanies a well-placed arm.

The best way to find out whether a horse
has a free use of his shoulders or not is to put
on a saddle in its natural place so that the girth
fits into its groove, and then ride the horse
down a hill at a walk, and a gallop, if you want
to make still more certain.

In a well-made horse, the angle formed by
the shoulder and the arm, that is to say, by a
line drawn from the highest point of the
withers to the point of the shoulder, and
another thence to just below the elbow should
be from 120 to 105 degrees divided into from
55 to 60 degrees for the shoulder and a hori-
zontal line from the point, and 50 to 60 degrees
for the arm and the same line, so that a per-
pendicular line dropped from the point of the

6

ANGLES AND PLUMB LINES.

[ 7',' face />. 6.

THE SELECTION OF A HORSE

shoulder just touches the toe. It is important
that the angle formed by the arm should be
large ; the best show horses have an arm
forming an angle of 60 degrees ; the angle
formed by the shoulder being about the same,
making a total angle at the point of 1 1 5 to 1 20
degrees. The arm from the shoulder point to
the centre of the forearm in hunters is generally
a good half of the distance from the point to
the top of the withers.

High withers running well into the back
and a sloping shoulder generally ensure com-
fort in riding ; and if the back is strong and
bends downwards readily, when pinched just
over the loins, the horse will be a nice hack.
For hunting he must have a deep girth, well
sprung ribs, extending to within a hand's
breadth of the hips, which should be wide —
plum-shaped hips are very objectionable — a
strong big dock to his tail is a good point,
showing as it does a strong spine, and con-
sequently good nervous system ; he should also
have muscular quarters and second thighs and
strong hocks.

The bones running from the point of the
hip to the hip joint, and from there to the nick
in the stifle, should be long and be placed so as
to form a good open angle, say, 70 to 90 degrees,

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

divided into 25 or 30 degrees between the upper
bone and a horizontal line drawn through the
joint and 45 to 60 degrees below that line.

Horses with a horizontal croup, say, one at
an angle of 20 degrees, are as a rule bad weight
carriers and poor jumpers. A horse with
exceptionally good shoulders and a level back,
however, usually has a croup of this formation,
as if the shoulder is, say, at an angle of
45 degrees, the angle formed by the croup
must be correspondingly small to prevent the
croup being higher than the withers. This
perhaps is why one seldom finds a good hunter
with a shoulder at a smaller angle than
55 degrees, which enables the croup to form an
angle of 30 degrees.

The stifle should be low, well developed,
and turn slightly outwards, and when the horse
is moving should be lifted vigorously.

The hocks viewed from behind should have
broad clean caps ; viewed from the side they
should be well let down, and the inner line, if
continued, should strike about the centre of the
back of the fetlock joint — if it come out much
above, the horse will generally be found to be
tied in below the hock, and consequently weak.
Horses with overstraight hocks are, as a rule,
pullers, although they are generally fast gal-

8

THE SELECTION OF A HORSE

lopers ; not being able to bend their hocks
easily, they resist being brought back on to
them, and either bend their necks backwards
or drop their heads and pull. The second
thighs or legs should be wide and muscular,
and for speed the thigh should be long and
moderately oblique, so that the stifle may be
low ; the angle formed at the stifle nick by the
thigh and leg should have a wide opening
measuring 115 to 120 degrees, and a vertical
line dropped from the point of the buttock
should touch the hock and run right down the
back sinew to the fetlock. .

To measure these angles an ordinary pro-
tractor made of brass with an arm working
from the centre of the circle is very useful.

Have the horse trotted out, stand behind
him, and see that he moves true, that he does
not dish, and that the feet on each side move
in an exact line, and do not pass too close to
the opposite fetlock joint. If the marks of the
hind feet are in front of those of the fore feet,
and a little to the outside of them, the horse
will probably be a fast galloper and fine jumper,
besides being a good walker. Then ride the
horse ; trot him first with a loose rein to see
whether he throws his weight freely on to his
forelegs, then hold him tight by the head, and,

9

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

by driving him forwards, test the strength of
his hinder parts ; if he resents being collected,
suspect his loins or hocks. Afterwards jump
him, and if he gives you a comfortable ride and
a feeling of confidence — trust, as a rule, to first
impressions — have him examined by a first-class
veterinary, and buy him if passed sound. Prefer
a horse whose legs darken in colour towards
the hoof.

A perfect shaped hunter is of course hard
to find and an expensive article, and in order
to mount himself well and economically, a man
must have a knowledge of compensation ; he
must know where to look for extra strength,
should any one part of a horse be defective and
weak ; e.g.t weak forelegs do not so much
matter if the horse has good sloping shoulders,
a well-placed arm, and strong loins and hocks.
Again, well-sprung ribs compensate for some-
what short back ribs.

In a cramped plough country, where a horse
has often to jump from a stand, generally over
ditches or low fences, strong loins and hocks are
a necessity, extra good shoulders a luxury ;
whereas in a flying country, where a horse
has to jump up into the air, and descend again,
good shoulders are in the case of most horses a
necessity, and save many a fall.

10

RELATIVE PROPORTIONS.

[ To face p.

THE SELECTION OF A HORSE

Proportion is the main point to look for.
There is no good having a horse with powerful
hind quarters if his forehand is weak, as he will
probably overjump himself, and come down on
his head at a fence. Similarly, if his forehand
is too heavy and powerful for his hind quarters,
he will not be able to lift himself over his fences ;
but given fairly good proportions, providing a
horse is not overweighted, is allowed to carry
his head where he likes, and balance himself so
that his strongest parts do the work in hunting,
he will last for years, although his shape and
make may not be all one would desire. But it
should be borne in mind that nothing compen-
sates for a weak pair of lungs, and in choosing
a hunter one should specially notice whether,
when galloping, sneezing or coughing, the horse
expels the air with force or not.

If when trotting you can rise and fall
equally comfortable on either diagonal, and
you find yourself strongly thrown up from the
saddle, the hind legs are probably all right ;
if the horse also canters equally well leading
with either fore leg, and turns and twists about
easily to either hand, and backs readily, there
cannot be much the matter with him.

A lady's horse should have an undeniably
strong and sound off hind and near fore leg, as

1 1

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

the lady's weight is principally on these legs
in the trot, and when cantering it is more
comfortable if the horse leads with the off fore,
in which case his, and his rider's, weight is also
principally on the near fore and off hind, the
propulsion being given by the off hind.

Having seen a horse trot in a straight line,
he should be trotted round a circle to both sides
in order to see if he freely places his weight on
each diagonal pair of legs.

With regard to the manifestations of lameness*
If the horse is lame in front, he lowers his head
and appears to drop as the sound foot comes
to the ground ; the contact of that foot with
the ground will be longer and the beat stronger
than that of the lame leg. If the lameness is
behind, the side of the croup over the sound
leg will drop more than the side over the lame
leg, and the head will nod on the side of the
lame member, so as to bring the weight for-
ward as that foot comes to the ground.

12

CHAPTER II

SADDLE AND BRIDLE

" Considering that equitation is an art, one should not
attach too much importance to the efficacy of the instru-
ments employed ; practical results depend upon the rider's
hand. One tries too much nowadays to replace address,
patience and apropos by mechanical appliances." — Pellier.

" The best remedy for a bolter or puller is a very carefully
and well-adjusted bit, a perfectly painless curb, a light hand,
long rein, and a firm seat." — Major Dwyer.

When first commencing to train a horse, it is
essential that the canons of the bit used should
be thick, the port moderate and the cheeks
short. The width of the mouthpiece should
be the same as that of the mouth ; if it is too
narrow the lips get pinched by the branches ;
if it is too wide, the horse, either in play or to
relieve himself, moves it about from side to
side, so that only one of the canons rests on a
bar, the other projecting beyond the mouth and
being replaced on the bar by the commence-
ment of the port, producing marked inequality
in the effect produced by the hand ; under these
circumstances, too, the horse nearly always

13

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

carries his head to one side. The length of
the curb chain should depend on the sensibility
of the bars ; one should act at first as if the
sensibility was great, and have the curb chain
loose. Some horses bend the neck best when
the bit is low in the mouth, and yet like the
curb chain so loose that when the reins are
slack it slips over the chin : to prevent this,
fasten one end of an ordinary lip strap to the
throat lash, and the other end to the centre
drop link of the curb, the strap being of such a
length that when the reins are tight, the curb
lies nicely in the chin groove. One should
obtain the desirable effect from the bit by having
the curb chain just sufficiently tight to bring
the branches of the bit to an angle of 45 degrees
with lower jaw when the reins are tight. The
lighter the mouth the higher should the bit be
placed ; the greater the resistance the lower it
should be placed.

Baucher, who worked entirely in the school,
lays it down as a principle that there is no such
thing as a difference of sensibility in the mouths
of horses ; he maintains that they all present
the same lightness when the horse is properly
balanced, and the same resistance when he
quits this important position. He adds that
there are horses heavy in hand, but this resist-

14

SADDLE AND BRIDLE

ance arises from undue length of back or
weakness of the loins, from narrow quarters,
want of second thighs, straight hocks, or from
the quarters being higher or lower than the
withers ; these are the real causes of resistance.
The stiffening of the neck or jaw is the horse's
way of insisting on licence to carry his head in
the position which best relieves his weak parts
of work and weight, and reformation can only
be obtained by the strengthening of these weak
parts by carefully graduated exercises.

Construction mid Placing of the Bit. — The
upper arms of the bit, from the centre of the
mouthpiece to the point from which the curb
hooks hang, should be from if to if inches
according to the depth of the horse's jaw at the
chin groove. The lower branches should vary
from 4J to, say, 6|- inches, according as the
horse requires a severe or a mild bit. The
mouthpiece should be from 4 to 4| inches in
width, the upper branches of the cheeks being
slightly turned outwards ; a 4|-inch width will
suit most horses if the port is not more than
\\ inches wide ; one inch is sufficient generally
to enable the horse to get his tongue back under
the bit should he draw it up, and there is little
danger of a corner of the port getting on to
one of the bars and hurting it, when the horse's

15

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

head is pulled to one side. The canons should
be from 2 to 2\ inches in circumference, and
the port from 1 to 2 inches in height. If the
horse is inclined to catch hold of the bit and
hold it fixed with his jaws, a bit with revolving
beads on the bars is useful. A bit of this sort
with a port 2 inches high and 8-inch cheeks
will make most hard pullers pleasant horses to
ride as hacks, providing the rider has light,
good hands, a firm seat, and knows how to
control a horse with his legs and spurs.

Notwithstanding Baucher's assertion that
there is no difference in the sensitiveness of
horses' mouths, practical experience in the
hunting field shows that every mouth has its
own special key, and that some horses prefer
to take the supporting pressure — which is
necessary in the fast paces — on the tongue,
whilst others like to have their tongues free
and take the pressure mainly on the bars. To
decide upon the bit most suitable to a horse,
examine the mouth with the fingers, and find
out by pressure whether or not the bars or
tongue are unduly sensitive, and let the result
of this examination regulate the height and
width of the port, the mouthpiece being exactly
the same width as the lower jaw at the point
opposite the chin groove.

16

SADDLE AND BRIDLE

In arranging the bits in the horse's mouth,
put the bradoon on alone first, so that it lies
exactly in the corners of the mouth, not
stretching them in the slightest when the
reins are slack ; the mouthpiece of the curb
bit should then be placed just clear of the ends
of the bradoon, falling on the bars of the lower
jaw at a point about opposite the chin groove,
in such a manner that the curb chain fits in it
smoothly and snugly, yet not so loosely that
it can get over the under lip when the reins
are slack.

Before leaving the stable the groom should
take hold of the curb reins under the neck, and
gently bring the full pressure of the bit to bear
on the mouth ; if the horse yields kindly, the
bit suits, and is properly placed ; if not, the
position must be changed until its exact spot in
the mouth is discovered. There is no comfort
in riding if the horse will not face his bit.

The point to bear in mind is that the longer
the cheeks, the thinner the canons, and the
higher the port, the more severe will the bit be,
and that as a horse should not be hurt, the
strength of the bit should depend upon the
length of the branches, and not on the sharpness
of the mouthpiece. Sometimes, although the
curb chain lies in its proper place, it still hurts the

17 c

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

bony projection just above, in this case an india-
rubber or leather curb-guard should be worn.
A piece of indiarubber piping 6 inches long,
with a small slit in the centre, made lengthways,
for the drop ring of the curb chain to fall
through, answers equally well, but is not so
neat.

A useful bradoon in which to ride a horse,
who is inclined to refuse to jump, is one
designed by M. Baucher ; it has above the rein
ring, a short cheek piece to the top of which
the head piece is attached in the same way as to
the curb bit. The advantage of this bradoon is
that when the right rein is used to prevent the
horse turning to the left, the short cheek on the
left side, being pulled against the teeth and
gums, forces the horse to open his mouth and
yield to the rein.

Horses with short mouths are best ridden
in a pelham or snaffle, as a double bridle is apt
to gag them, the bradoon stretching the corners
of the mouth to make room for the bit.

Martingales. — With a double bridle, if a
horse is properly bitted, and the rider eases his
hand before taking a pull, there is seldom need
for these instruments, but a running martingale
adds considerably to the effectiveness of a
snaffle bridle, and helps to keep young horses

18

SADDLE AND BRIDLE

straight. If it is found necessary to use one on
a double bridle, it should be placed on the curb
reins with a loose curb chain, but the rings on
the martingale must be smaller than the rings
on the bit.

Standing martingales attached either to the
noseband or the rings of the snaffle, teach some
horses to bend their necks, but many horses
pull upwards against them, and opinions differ
as to their utility.

Nosebands, fairly broad and flat, improve
the appearance of some horses and increase the
power of the bit by keeping the mouth closed
and bringing pressure to bear on the nose. At
the same time a noseband will make many
horses pull, by confining their mouths un-
pleasantly. There is nothing more refreshing
at times than a good yawn, and it is irritating
to feel one cannot indulge in the luxury, so
unless a horse really wants a noseband, it is
better not to hunt or hack him in one. It is
for the rider not to pull the mouth wider open
than he likes to see it ; he must yield the hand,
and then take another gentle pull. Of course,
badly trained horses and bolters require special
tackle, and with these a noseband may be
found of great assistance.

Saddle and Girths. — The saddle should be
19 c 2

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

the same height in front and behind, should
have a slight dip in the centre, and should
be narrow in the fork. The first girth strap
should be well forward, so that the girths pass
round in their proper place, allowing the
rider's legs to hang naturally along them, so
that he can apply his spurs in the proper place,
viz., just behind the girths, to make his horse
bend his neck, stop or back. For the same
reason it is a mistake to have the girths too
wide ; a single strong leather girth, wide enough
at each end to hold two buckles, and gradually
narrowing down to about 2 inches at the centre,
answers every purpose.

A neat, round, leather " monkey strap," about
12 inches long, attached by two strong steel
swivel hooks to the front dees of the saddle, is
of much use. By it, one can easily mount a
hogged-maned horse by catching hold of the
strap in the centre with two fingers and turning
the nails up as the spring is made. When a
horse is "playing up," the rider can keep him-
self well down in the saddle without touching
the horse's mouth or holding on with the legs,
leaving these latter free to gently and quietly
place the horse so that he cannot continue his
game ; in the case of hard pullers or snatchers,
the curb rein can be passed through the strap

20

SADDLE AND BRIDLE

and held on the other side, when giving the
horse a lesson in obedience. The swivel hooks
should be on fairly large rings so that the strap
can turn upwards and lie against the bow of
the saddle. When the reins are through the
strap the rider must bear in mind that if he is
thrown forward over the horse's head and holds
on to the reins he will pull the horse s nose into
his chest and perhaps turn him over.

21

CHAPTER III

SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS

" Use your hands and legs with judgment. Let your
one object be to keep your horse perfectly balanced. Do
not allow him to leave this position of his own accord, as
it is the foundation and complement of his education, and
before three months have passed the most ignorant animal
will do his work with remarkable precision." — Baucher.*

" The perfect horseman knows how to utilise the qualities
which make a horse dangerous in the hands of an inex-
perienced rider ; he knows how to cadence and extend the
paces, how to obtain the most out of his horse with the
least fatigue. He gives ease and grace to his horse's move-
ments, by the appropriateness of his demands, and the
guidance of his aids. He masters the will of a rebel, and
the most restive brutes become useful in his hands, because
he knows how to turn to his own ends the energy which is
prepared to resist him. In a word, the more capable the
horse of lightness and energy, even though ill-dispositioned,
the more submission, grace and power, the true horseman is
able to command. But, to obtain these results, it is neces-
sary to work hard, in order to know how to prepare the
horse rightly, to demand properly, and to exact with
energy."' — Lieut, de Saint Phalle.

To have a good seat it is first of all necessary
to have a well-made comfortable saddle, one
with a slight dip in the centre, a fairly roomy

* F. Baucher lived in the reign of Louis Philippe and
was the author, between the years 1833 and 1859, of many
books on horsemanship, to the practical study of which he
devoted his life.

22

SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS

seat, and a panel thicker in front of the thighs
and knees than under and behind them.

The stirrup leathers should have holes
punched in them every half inch, and their right
length is that which enables the rider to easily
clear the pommel of the saddle when standing
up in the stirrups. This length of leather
should place the rider well on the seat of the
saddle, and enable him to use his legs and spurs
with gentleness and precision, the calves, when
necessary, closing against the " swell " of the
horse's body, not below it. When first mount-
ing a horse, the simplest way to adjust the
leathers is to first place oneself well back on
the saddle, and then regulate their length.
When riding a horse with a straight shoulder,
or a stumbler, it is especially necessary to sit
well back in the saddle, so as to keep the weight
off the forehand, and to secure greater leverage
in case of a false step or fall.

The body should be upright, but free from
any stiffness, and the flat of the thighs and the
back half of the sides of the knees should
be towards the saddle, though not necessarily
gripping it ; the legs when not in use should
fall without any contraction of the knee joints
along the girths and true ribs just in front of
the better sprung and sensitive false ribs, the

23

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

toe being slightly out as when walking. The
horse will show greater or less sensibility,
according as the legs touch him below the
" swell " of the ribs, or against it, on the flanks,
or just behind the girths. Consequently, the
effect of the legs increases as the pressure is
applied by their lower parts ; the pressure of
the thighs and knees has practically no disturb-
ing effect upon the horse, that of the calves
influences him sufficiently for ordinary work,
but when it is necessary to thoroughly rouse
his energy the lowest parts of the legs and
the heels should feel the sides. Grip, when
necessary to secure the seat, should be applied
by the sides of the knees, and the side of the
upper part of the calves ; the touch of the
knees and legs being otherwise light, they
should feel the horse, not squeeze him, except
when punishment is called for, in which case,
as M. Barroil says, they should embrace the
horse from knees to heels. Gentleness in the
use of the legs is as essential as in the case of
the hands, and one should constantly strive to
use the minimum of force, and should remove
the pressure the moment the horse answers to
it. The bearing on the stirrup irons should
be light ; the moment the rider feels that he is
pressing on them, he should slightly bend his

24

SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS

knee joints, or take a firmer grip with the
knees.

Knee pressure secures the rider's seat and
strengthens his hand without exciting the horse ;
whereas steady pressure from the lower part of
the legs applied below the swell of the body has
a disturbing effect, driving him forwards or
stopping him, according as it is applied against
the flanks or just behind the elbows. This grip
of the knees should be developed for use when
wanted, during long trots, and one should also
practise opening the thighs when there is an
inclination to grip, so as to bring the muscles
under control of the will, and prevent in-
voluntary contractions. In the words of Mr.
James Fillis, " stiffness of the body, arms, and
legs, makes fine horsemanship impossible ; it is
only when the limbs have become supple, and
the body maintains itself in the saddle by
balance, that the legs acquire the necessary
delicate feeling." The secret of remaining on
a horse when he " plays up " is to drop the
hands, press the heels down, sink well into
the saddle, to go with him in all his movements,
and to force him to move forward with the legs
and spurs. The tendency, when trotting on
the left diagonals, or cantering with the right
leg leading, is to rest too much weight on the

25

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

left stirrup ; the rider should therefore counteract
this, by pressing his right seat bone into the
saddle, feeling the right stirrup, and so keep
himself square and well down in the saddle.
A lady should also be careful to keep her right
hip and shoulder well back.

When cantering, leading with the right leg
or starting the canter on that leg, the horse
places his weight on his near fore and off hind
leg, which should also support his rider's
weight, the rider therefore should press more or
less on the left rein, touch the neck with the
right rein, and put his or her weight on the right
seat bone, sinking it well into the saddle. In the
same way when trotting on the left diagonals,
the rider should put his weight on the right
seat bone, rising and falling principally on it.

A lady should be particularly careful to
keep the greater part of her weight on the right
side of the saddle, so as to secure a square,
upright, firm seat.

Spurs are worn either for ornament or use,
but in neither case need the necks exceed
2 inches in length, except in the case of very
long legged men. As regards the question of
sharp rowels or blunt, Baucher writes : — " If I
myself obtained with a sharp spur all the
different airs of the High School, I could not

26

SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS

hide from myself the fact that the result was
not always the same with my pupils, many of
whom made their horses restive. It therefore
became necessary to avoid this inconvenience,
and I tried whether in treating the flanks with
that gentleness which proved so successful with
the mouth, I could not attain the same result.
I accordingly tried spurs with round smooth-
edged rowels, and obtained such excellent
results that I definitely adopted them."

Most school riders, however, do not use the
sharp spur as an aid, but merely to stimulate a
horse and enforce obedience to the leg ; but
unless a rider has confidence in his ability to
keep the lower part of his legs perfectly still, he
should not wear sharp spurs, unless they are
very short in the neck. Out hunting long-
necked sharp spurs are objectionable, as in the
case of a fall they are certain to tear the horse's
sides. Many do not like dummy spurs when
dealing even with an excitable horse, as they
merely irritate him, whereas sharp spurs, when
properly used, fix his attention and calm him if
he has been trained not to kick on feeling them.
When an untrained horse feels the spurs he
brings his hind legs under him and then kicks ;
it is for the trainer to teach him to be content
with the first action only.

27

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

The legs should be kept away from the
horse's sides as much as possible, and when the
sharp spurs are used to punish or animate a
horse, they should touch him just behind the
girths, where they are least likely to make him
kick ; before using his spurs the rider should
turn out his toes, whilst keeping the side of the
knees towards the saddle, and he should only
withdraw them about an inch from the sides
between each touch. The accurate use of the
spurs depends to some extent on the proper
adjustment of the stirrup leathers, which should
be moderately short, and if the rider does not
want to prick his horse with the rowels when
closing in his legs, he should keep the feet
parallel with the horse's sides.

Spurs are " persuaders " and should only be
used when the horse does not answer to the
pressure of the calf, and the touch of the side
of the spurs.*

Every riding horse should, however, be
trained to take the prick of the spur without
resentment, and he should know that the rider
has under his immediate control means of
punishing him for disobedience or wrong-doing.

As an exceptional and powerful means of

* " L'eperon est la demiere expression des jambes."
28

SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS

control when a trained horse is very excited,
and inclined to get the better of the rider, the
latter can tie him up between the spurs and
the bit by turning his knees and toes out
and pressing in both spurs gently and with
absolute calm quite close to the girths
whilst feeling the horse's mouth lightly, but
with unyielding firmness, the reins being
held short.

In the case of untrained horses, the steady
gentle pressure of both calves, or intermittent
touches of the spurs, by driving the horse into
his bridle, generally suffices to bring him under
control.

Steady graduated pressure of sharp spurs
and the bit " immobilize " and calm a horse, or
when the hand is eased, force him to move for-
ward in the desired direction. Intermittent
touches of the spurs mobilize the hind quarters,
and animate and collect a horse. A touch on
the elbow from the toe will make a horse extend
himself in the gallop.

When punishing with the spurs, the rider
must consider the sensibility of the horse, and
not the gravity of the fault committed, nor his
own feeling of anger ; and the punishment
should commence while the horse is misbe-
having. If the horse kicks on feeling the spur,

29

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

the spurs should be again pressed in once or
twice rather sharply.

If the horse in the walk, trot or canter,
persists in trying to get the better of the hand
by movements of the head and neck, the rider
should keep the spurs just touching the sides,
close to the girths, for some little time, without
unduly checking the forward movement by
taking too strong a feeling on the mouth. The
spurs should punish him every time he chucks
his head up or snatches at the bit. Horses
that throw their heads about have as a rule
sharp bars to their mouths, and should be ridden
in a smooth bradoon, and a bit with india-
rubber rings on the bar on either side of the
port.

To " collect " his horse, the rider should ease
his hand slightly, turn out his toes, ease the
grip of the knees, force his heels down, sink
into his saddle, and stimulate the horse with his
legs just behind the girth, whilst the hand
receives the impulse with a slight upward
feeling on the reins.

To enable him to get his hind legs well
under in order to stop in, or jump from, the
fast gallop, a horse naturally stretches his neck
out, and the rider should not oppose this action
unduly by taking tight hold of the head and

30

SEAT, LEGS AND SPURS

pulling it up. When the horse has stopped or
nearly so, the rider can shorten his reins and
with the help of the legs cause him to raise his
head and arch his neck.

Finally, it should be noted that to help a
horse to gallop, the rider should avoid pressing
him steadily with his legs, unless he is tired
and wants holding together, whereas if he
wishes his horse to canter slowly he should
press him strongly with the legs ; the fingers, of
course, being closed on the reins.

CHAPTER IV

HANDS

11 Be gentle, my children, in using your hands,
Touch lightly and let the chief effort be mental,
The will is the power that guides and commands." —

Philpotts Williams.

" His hand is the best whose indications are so clear
that the horse cannot mistake them, and whose gentleness
and fearlessness alike induce obedience." —

Lord Pembroke.

What is really meant by " Hands " ? We
speak of some people as having good hands,
of others as having bad hands. Horses go
kindly and nicely with the first, and never seem
comfortable when the others are on their backs.
What is the secret of this magic touch ? It
seems to lie in three things : Firstly, a seat
independent of any assistance from the hands ;
secondly, good nerve and a kind disposition,
which prevents the rider from causing the horse
unnecessary pain ; and, thirdly, a long and
moderately stretched rein, and knowledge when
to strengthen the action of the hands and when
to ease it.

32

HANDS

A horse must never be allowed to get the
ascendency of the hands. By this is meant
that he must not get the better of the rider ;
the word ''hand" comprises the whole body
practically, as the horse is controlled as much
by the seat and legs as by the hands, and
it is only by combining the action of the
seat, legs and hands that perfect control is
obtained.

A horse must not be allowed either to bear
on the bit or to snatch at it, and every such
attempt should be visited with immediate
punishment, the rider easing the hand very
slightly, so as to refuse the horse the support
he wants, and so cause a relaxation of the
muscles of the neck, closing his thumb firmly
on the reins, fixing his arms against his body,
and pressing in the legs close behind the girths,
giving a slight touch with the spurs, if necessary,
to bring the hind legs under and restore the
balance.

If a horse refuses to raise his head and
neck, and balance himself, the rider must have
recourse to stronger measures ; he should
slacken the reins slightly and then strongly
"leg" the horse against the bit, whilst keeping
a firm grip on the reins.

In the same way a horse should never be
33 d

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

allowed to recoil from the hand ; he must be
driven forwards at once by the legs.

The hands and arms should be supple, but
the give and take should come from the fingers,
hands and wrists alone, the hands and fingers
being open, whilst the horse is going nicely ;
and closing tightly on the reins without pulling
at them, — the thumb alone first and then the
fingers if necessary, the knees at the same time
gripping the saddle firmly, — the moment the
horse tries to gain the ascendency. At times,
of course, when on bad ground, one should not
be so exacting, as it is then necessary to let the
horse have the free use of his neck to either
balance himself, or to enable him to examine
the ground in front. Except in the fast paces
and out hunting, when as long a rein as the
horse asks for is conducive to the comfort of
the horse and the safety of the rider, the reins
should be of such a length that when the hands
are raised, so as to be in a line with the
elbows, the mere closing of the fingers and
legs will stop the horse and make him back,
if necessary, as the rider must have his
horse under such control that he can stop or
turn him to right or left immediately. In the
case of a fidgety, excitable horse, it is best
to have a long and slightly slack rein, so

34

HANDS

that he can play with the bit and ease his
feelings *

One should not pull at a horse's mouth ; the
rider should close his fingers on the reins and
press the horse's mouth against the bit, not pull
the bit against the mouth, that is to say, the
pressure of the bit should not be greater than
the resistance, and the rider should not try to
pull harder than the horse.

To stop a horse in any of the paces, the
rider should therefore grip the reins between
the thumbs and first fingers, close in the knees,
force the heels down, and gently press the
horse against the bit. The moment the horse
commences to stop, the pressure of the knees
should be removed, the stop completed the
grip on the reins should be immediately and

* It is also better, in most cases, for the rider to let go
the small of the back and sit on the end of the spine, as
by sitting on the fork he brings the weight forward and
inclines the horse to hasten his pace. If the horse throws
his quarters out it is advisable to bring the shoulders into
line with them with the pressure of the outside reins against
the middle of the neck and not to force the quarters back
with the leg ; a horse throws his quarters out in order to
avoid being collected on to the leg of that side, and con-
sequently it is a sign of a weakness which should have
attention. An excitable horse should be managed almost
entirely with the reins, and the legs should be kept per-
fectly still.

35 D 2

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

completely relaxed, and the lower part of the
legs closed in to make the horse balance him-
self.*

As the hand finds it much easier to control
a horse when his hind legs are well under him,
than when they are out behind him, school
riders recommend that before using the hands,
the legs and spurs should be first pressed in
gently to bring the hind legs under and balance
the horse.

To shorten the reins one should therefore
first run the hand forward along them, and then,
instead of pulling at them to get the hand
back to the body, to collect the horse by
intermittent leg pressure until he bends his
neck and loosens the reins sufficiently to enable
the hand to take its proper position.

The final result of training should be to
make a horse suitable for a lady's riding ; a
good lady's hack or hunter should obey the
hand readily, as owing to her position she can
only use leg work on one side.

In trying a horse for a lady a man should
keep the legs away from the horses sides and see

* If the horse bores on the bit the action of the hand
should be upwards, not towards the body, so as to bring the
bit against the corners of the mouth, instead of against
the bars.

36

HANDS

whether he stops nicely in the gallop without
any support from them.*

Most horses go best when they have plenty
of rein. Too short a rein makes a horse try to
get behind the bridle and jib, and as a horse
balances himself by means of his neck, the free
use of it enables him to move gracefully and to
stop easily.

Good hands are shown by the opportune
and right combination of the aids — " On appelle
jeu combine des aides le travail combine des
jambes, des mains, du corps, et de l'assiette "f —
and not by weakly yielding to every solicitation
on the part of the horse for fear of upsetting
his temper ; a man who wishes to become a
good horseman, and to give his horse good
manners will risk this, and firmly check every
effort of the horse to gain the upper hand,
whilst yielding to him the moment he shows
inclination to obey.

* " To test whether a horse naturally brings his hind legs
well under him, and, in fact, to train him to do so, start him
off in a gallop and then stop him with the hands alone, and
just as he comes to a stop ease the hands and press him
gently forward with the spurs \ if the hind legs are not well
under, the horse will have difficulty in restarting and, in
future, knowing what to expect he will learn to collect himself
better." — Capitaine de Champsavin.

f E. Barroil.

37

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

The position of the hands regulates the
height at which the horse carries his head,
which can be trained to follow the hand up or
down, in the following way : — Whilst walking
raise the hands and " take a feel " on the
bradoon reins ; then if the horse does not
respond, draw the bradoon quietly from side
to side through the mouth, and when the head
begins to rise, close the legs, or touch with the
spurs close behind the girths, so as to bring it
well up, and when he has carried it in this
position for a short time, reward him by letting
the reins gently run through the fingers — the
horse should not be allowed to snatch them
through — so that he can lower his head and
stretch his neck, the touch of the legs being also
removed. Baucher writes : "I have just said
that to reward a horse one should ease the
hands, but I do not mean that the reins should
be suddenly and completely slackened. One
should imperceptibly diminish the tension on
the reins, so as to be always ready to check
opportunely the undue haste with which the
horse would naturally stretch out his neck.
He should be taught to draw the reins through
the fingers very gently." The rider should
also be careful when taking up the reins again
to be equally gentle and gradual in his action ;

38

HANDS

neither horse nor rider should ever snatch at
the reins.

The horse should now be taught, after
raising his head to the snaffle, to bring in his
chin, yielding to the pressure of the bit, until
the line of his face is perpendicular to the
ground. This is done by strongly closing the
fingers on the curb reins and increasing the
tension until the mouth is just felt ; the pressure
afterwards varying exactly with the force of the
horse's resistance ; it should in fact be equal
to the resistance, neither greater nor less. The
pain the horse suffers should be the immediate
result of his own action in trying to force the
hand, and resistance should be overcome by the
pressure of the knees, or the touch of the spurs
close behind the girths.

When the horse yields readily to the bit, he
should be trained to keep his head in position
and champ the bit for a prolonged period, the
rider closing his thumb on the reins whenever
the horse resists, and easing the hand the
moment he yields. In this way is obtained
that mobility of the lower jaw which constitutes
a perfect mouth ; but the rider must see that
the horse yields his lower jaw to the bit before
bending his neck to it. If the horse takes a
dead hold of the bit, a good plan is to ride him

39

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

on the left snaffle rein, and right curb rein, the
other two reins being loose ; he then cannot
bear on either of the bits, and soon yields his
lower jaw.

If a horse sees anything he is uncertain
about the rider should close his legs gently, yet
firmly, so as to give him confidence and press
him forward, being careful not to check him
with the hand. If the horse should then shy,
the rider can catch him by simply closing the
fingers on the reins, and then, with the aid of
the outside leg and the outside rein drawn
across the centre of the neck, bring him back
to his proper position ; but the rider should do
all in his power to make the horse move
straight forward when he is inclined to shy and
even if he dashes on at a gallop he should not
check him ; it is a mistake to pull a horse back
on to his hocks when he is nervous.

When there is plenty of room, the best way
to treat a nervous horse is to lean forward and
pat the shoulder of the side away from the
object of which he is afraid. By doing this,
the rider eases the hand, closes in the legs
behind the girth, puts his weight on the side to
which the horse is inclined to move, and so
secures his seat, whilst at the same time he
encourages his horse. When space allows of

40

HANDS

it, a young horse should be allowed to move as
far as he likes from an object he fears, then be
stopped and encouraged to have a good look at
it, and, finally, made to walk up to the object
and smell it. If a horse whizzes round, he
should be made to complete the circle in the
one movement.

There are various ways of holding the reins.
The usual English manner is to have the left
reins, curb and snaffle, separated by the little
finger, or the little and third fingers of the left
hand, and the right reins either separated by
the second finger of the left hand or placed
between the thumb and first finger ; in the first
case the ends of the reins pass upwards
between the thumb and first finger ; in the
second case the ends of the left reins pass
between the first and second fingers, whilst the
right reins pass through the palm of the hand.
Except perhaps when hunting, the curb rein
should be on the outside. If a horse is inclined
to get his head down, it is best to have the
right reins between the thumb and first finger.
The hands have the nicest and most even
feeling on the horse's mouth when the knuckles
are horizontal and thumbs near one another,
they also find it more natural to drop than
to rise, whereas when the knuckles are vertical

4i

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

the nails nearly always turn up, and the hands
rise in moments of anxiety. In addition to
this, when the knuckles are horizontal the
fingers can play on the reins that pass under
the little fingers and animate the horse.

The French method is to have the curb
reins on the little finger of the left hand, the
ends after passing upwards being held between
the thumb and the first finger whilst the snaffle
reins are held on the second finger of either
the left or right hand ; the knuckles of the left
hand should be vertical, the wrist arched,* and
the elbow close to the side, but not touching
it, whilst the right hand fingers the reins and
regulates the feeling on the horse's mouth.

When holding the end of the reins between
the thumb and first finger, the first joint of the
thumb should be bent, so that the tip presses
on the reins and holds them tight, without the
muscles of the arm being contracted, as is the
case if the whole hand is employed to keep an
unyielding hold on the reins. When riding a
well trained horse the thumb should alone be
used to grip the reins, the rest of the hand
should under all circumstances be kept open

* This arching of the wrists is conducive to light
handling of the reins, and produces an elastic feeling which
the horse appreciates.

42

HANDS

and relaxed ; muscular contraction in any part
of the body should be avoided.

The rider should be careful to keep his
eyes up instead of looking down at his horse's
withers ; the sense of touch becomes much
more acute in the hands, if the eyes do not
assist them in watching the movements of the
horse ; and consequently, the handling of the
reins becomes lighter and more accurate.
Riding when it is dark, for the same reason,
also helps to make the hands light.

When going round corners, the rider should
support the horse with his legs and ease the
hand very slightly as soon as the horse has
begun to turn, so that he can balance himself.
To commence the turn, the inside hand should
be slightly raised, while the outside hand draws
the rein across the withers so as to brine the
horse's weight on to the inside hind leg, which
is the pivot.

As to the employment of hands and legs
there are two distinct schools. Baucher in his
later writings claims that the secret of obtain-
ing the most perfect balance is to use the hands
and legs separately and not in combination.
He says that the function of the hand is to
control the head and neck, and to place or
restrain a horse, whilst the legs and spurs bring

43

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

the hind legs under the body and excite the
propelling power of the hind quarters. He
used the legs merely to drive the horse forwards
when necessary, or to bring the hind legs
under the body, and whilst using them kept
only half tension on the reins. He overcame
the resistance of the mouth and neck by actions
of the hand called "demi-arrets " and " vibra-
tions " ; using the one or the other according
as the resistance felt by the hand was merely
a dull heavy weight, or an active contraction of
the neck and lower jaw ; he employed the
demi-arrU or half halt in the first case, and
vibrations in the second.

The demi-arret is thus described : Close the
fingers on the reins strongly without easing the
hands ; turn the nails upwards sharply and give
an upward pull proportioned to the resistance
to be overcome, so as to balance the horse on
his legs, then give a slight forward jerk from
the wrists so as to throw the bit away from the
lower jaw and deprive the horse of support.
One or two of these will make most horses
raise their heads.

Vibrations are a series of gentle tugs at the
reins. When the horse resists the action of
one rein, say the right, it is better to give the
demi-arrU or the vibrations on the left rein of

44

HANDS

the same bit. This system Baucher called
" Mains sans jambes et jambes sans mains" and
he claimed that by working on it the rider
learns to use his hands and legs with exactly
the amount of force necessary to attain his
object, the legs not being required to counteract
the excessive action of the hands, nor the hands
to render the same service to the legs.

Baucher's pupils, though firmly believing in
the system, and recommending that it should
be acted upon as much as possible, could not
make it an absolute rule. The ability to work
on it successfully is, in fact, the reward of long
practice, as it requires a very delicate and
accurate use of both the hands and legs.*

It must be remembered that towards the end
of his life Baucher lost the power of his legs,
and he consequently trained his horses to work
entirely to the hand, the legs merely sending
forward impulses for the hands to work upon ;
this method was thus very suitable for training-
ladies' horses.

When using the legs alone at the trot the
rider should sit well down in the saddle, rising
and falling on each leg.

* " The ideal of the independent use of the aids is to be
able to roll a cigarette between the ringers whilst using the
legs with the utmost vigour." — James Fillis.

45

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

The other schools are all for leg work, the
hands being more or less passive agents, closing
strongly on the reins when the horse bears on
the bit, or pulls, and allowing the legs to gently
press him against the bit. Their chief maxims
are : " Peu de mains, et beaucoup de jambes"
"Main fixe, rines t endues, et jambes actives et
constantes" " Immobility du bras, souplesse des
poignets" "La main indique le mouvement et
les jambes le font exe1 cuter" and " La Idgereti
a la main est donnie par les jambes et par les
dperons pres des sangles." This does not
mean that the horse should be held tight by the
head and then spurred until he yields to the
bit ; * if the horse bears on the hand, the hands
should be raised, keeping only a very light
feeling on the mouth, so as to allow the horse
the free use of his neck. The fingers being
closed firmly on the reins, the legs then, by
touching lightly with the spurs close behind the
girth, make the horse bring his hind legs under
him, arch his neck, mobilize his lower jaw, and
generally balance himself, and become light in
hand and obedient to the slightest contraction

* When a horse wants to get his hind legs well under
him he naturally drops his head and neck, so if his head is
forcibly held high it makes it difficult for him to obey the
legs and spurs, balance himself and become light in hand.

46

HANDS

or easing of the fingers on the reins. This
school believes in jambes sans mains but not in
mains sans jambes.

Both schools aim at bringing the horse
under the control of the hand, but the less
visible movement there is of the hands or legs,
whichever may be used to enforce obedience,
the better. It must be remembered that a
demi-arret is in no way a "job in the mouth,"
it is a steady upward pull followed by an almost
imperceptible jerk forwards from the wrist.
This is a very different thing from the sudden
slackening of the reins, followed by a sharp
quick snatch at them, to which the ordinary
stable help occasionally treats his master's
horses.

The advantage of training a horse and
making his mouth with the legs, is that they
can punish with the spurs if the horse does not
answer to their pressure, whereas the hands
should never punish a horse's mouth, and a
self-willed horse soon disregards their indica-
tions and learns to avoid their action ; more-
over demi-arrets and vibrations, however gently
administered, are apt to produce contractions
of the jaw, and to excite the horse's brain and
prevent him from calmly thinking and finding
out what is required of him.

47

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

I venture to think that the principal duty of
the hand is to keep the attention of the horse
fixed by maintaining a steady, even, light feeling
on the mouth ; and that knee pressure alone
should be used to strengthen the hand, the
lower part of the leg being only used, either to
drive the horse forwards, or to punish him for
disobedience or unruly conduct, or to cause him
to relax the muscles of the lower jaw ; and
when the lower part of the leg is being used for
any reason but punishment, the hand should be
very slightly eased so that the horse can answer
to the leg or spur by moving forward and yield-
ing the lower jaw.

As it is with the neck and hind quarters
that a horse resists the action of the reins, it is
best, instead of pulling the horse about when
he does not answer to the hand helped by knee
pressure, to ease the hand very slightly so as
to relax the muscles of the neck, and use the
legs to bring the horse's hind legs under him,
so that he cannot resist the indications of the
reins. This is Baucher's teaching that the
hands and legs should be used separately, a
system which seems based on common sense,
as it is hard for a horse to obey the legs and
spurs and relax the muscles of the neck if a
tight rein keeps them contracted, but it is the

48

HANDS

leg and spur which should insist on obedience
to the indications of the hand, not the hand
itself.

The position of the hands is of importance.
When they are held low, the legs drive the
horse's weight on to his shoulders and force
him to move faster, provided the fingers are
not closed tightly on the reins ; whereas, if the
hands are high the horse raises his head on
being stimulated by the legs and throws his
weight back on to his loins and hocks, and so
balances himself for the slower paces ; the seat
bones also help by pressing down the small of
the back. The hands should really never pull
at a horse ; they should, with the help of the
legs, distribute his weight, and make it con-
venient and easy for him to obey his riders
wishes. When the hands are high the rider
must be careful to press the elbows, shoulders
and heels well down, so as to keep close to
the saddle.

A " double feeling" on a rein is obtained
by raising the hand, holding it, and dropping
the other, e.g., to turn to the right, raise the
right hand, and press the horse forward with
the knees. If the turn is sharp, the left hand
should be carried to the right, pressing the rein
against the neck just in front of the withers, so

49 e

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

as to fix the horse's weight on his off hind,
which acts as pivot, and the outside leg should
be closed firmly against the side.*

The result of good training is to make a
horse so that the rider can guide and control
him with one hand. But when the reins are
held in one hand it is necessary to turn the
horse by the action of what Baucher called the
rein opposee on the neck ; to do this the horse
must be first balanced and brought back on his
hocks, and if the rider wants to turn, say, to the
left, he should then rather ease the hand, so as
not to stop him, and carry it to the left, so that
the right rein touches the neck and makes him
incline his head to the left ; he can then pivot
the horse round on the near hind by pressing
in the left leg, not the right, as would be the
case if the horse were being turned by the left
or direct rein.

* If, however, a horse resists an order to turn, say, to the
right, by rearing, it is better to lower the right hand, fix it
against the back of the thigh and force the horse round with
the right spur.

50

CHAPTER V

TRAINING A HORSE
" En avant toujours en avant."

THE HACK

" Demander souvent, savoir se contenter de peu."

The object of training should be to teach a
horse to carry out his rider's wishes with that
grace and ease which can only be attained by
learning to work with his muscles supple, and
each part balanced on its adjacent structure.

Contraction of the muscles indicates resis-
tance or fear, and is as a rule caused by the
rider making demands before the horse has
been sufficiently educated or at a moment
when the position of his limbs does not enable
him to carry them out.

The chief road to success in the training
of animals is to treat them in a way which will
secure their respect and affection. Respect
comes first, as affection which is not preceded
by knowledge that the rider is the master is

51 e 2

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

not worth anything ; and I wish to show in this
chapter how this superiority can be asserted
and maintained without resort to cruelty or
undue severity, as cruelty nearly always pro-
duces a vicious disposition in a horse. Firmness
and kindness secure the desired end, but the
rider must remember to meet a challenge at
once and attack in a cheery, good-tempered
way ; and by means of his legs and hands so
place the horse that he cannot carry out his
intentions, or else force him by energetic use
of the legs to carry them out with a degree of
vigour which is distasteful and tiring to him ;
the latter method is, I think, the better, if there
is plenty of room and the rider is sure of his
seat, as in the future the horse will not have
pleasant associations connected with his attempt
to misbehave, and will think twice before he
challenges again.

Horses when at work should look and feel
proud and pleased ; the rider should, therefore,
by means of the aids of the hand and leg, give
his horse the carriage which indicates these
feelings, and if he then treats him kindly, the
horse will both look and feel happy — feelings
are suggested by attitudes, and a horse that
is allowed to hang his head and look dejected
soon begins to feel so and hate his work. To

52

TRAINING A HORSE

produce such a feeling is a thousand times more
cruel than to make proper use of the spurs and
bit, which may perhaps irritate a horse at first,
but which eventually teaches him to balance
himself and so to do his work with the least
effort and fatigue.

A horse cannot always understand the
meaning of words, but he does catch the feeling
which the tone of the rider's voice indicates,
and a man who wishes to make a friend of his
horse should talk much to him in a low quiet
tone of voice, and allow him to smell his clothes,
an old coat being kept especially for the stables,
so that it will not matter even if the horse
takes hold of it with his teeth. It is best to
pat a horse on the withers or shoulders, as
horses do not seem to like being patted on the
neck by anyone on foot. It must be remem-
bered that the essence of success in dealing
with a horse is tact ; that is, the application in
the right place, and at the right moment, of the
minimum amount of force necessary to attain
one's object. No two horses are alike, and a
man must make a special study of every horse
he rides, and by combining the effects of hands,
egs and seat, must secure that invisible control
that marks a fine horseman.

The first quality to secure in a horse is
53

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

impulsion ; he must be always in front of the
rider's legs, and he must answer the slightest
pressure by forward movement. To obtain
this, the main point is to ease the hands before
pressing in the legs, and then to stop him by
first easing the legs and then closing the fingers
tightly on the reins. Till the horse's education
is well advanced these two aids should not be
combined.

A trained horse should keep his head and
neck still, and maintain, like the rider, an even
steady horizontal pressure on the bradoon, whilst
yielding the lower j aw the moment he feels the bit.

Mains sans jambes and jambes sans mains
should be, as Baucher says, the trainer's motto
until the horse goes forward without the slightest
hesitation, when the legs tell him to do so.
This forward movement should not only be
certain, but it should also be calm ; leg action
should therefore always be gentle and gradual,
and the horse must be trained to take it without
resentment or disturbance of any kind. A
kindly pat on the neck every time he answers
to the legs will soon secure ready obedience.
As the principal seat of resistance is the neck,
we will now supple and get control of it, by
what Baucher calls Flexions ; these can be
either to the right and left, or direct.

54

TRAINING A HORSE

The rider starts at the walk, the reins being
long but not loose, and closing first the fingers
firmly, say, on the right rein of the bradoon or
bit, he presses the horse gently forwards with
the legs, which should also keep him on a
straight path, and waits till he yields his jaw
and brings his nose to the right, the lateral
bend of the neck being from just behind the
ears, the rest of the neck remaining straight
and firm, and the quarters in a line with the
shoulders. The hand and legs should then be
immediately eased, and the horse patted. The
same should then be done with the left rein,
and then both right and left rein, of each bit
in turn, together. This direct flexion should
always be obtained before easing the hands
after stopping the horse. Baucher's direct and
lateral flexions were made at the withers, but, as
Mr. Fillis explains, this soon teaches the horse
to avoid control by getting behind the hand.
The neck should remain high and firm, the
flexion being made by the horse yielding the
jaw, and making the bend from the poll alone ;
if he lowers his neck, it should be at once
pressed up again by the legs and spurs ; it
should not, however, be carried too high, but
just so high that the rider when sitting erect
and looking straight in front can see the

55

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

horse's ears and the top of his head ; moreover,
the slope of the shoulders must be taken into
consideration when regulating the height of the
neck, so that the horse may not be made un-
comfortable.

The rider then starts the trot, taking the
saddle first as the near fore and off hind feet
come to the ground, and after obtaining a right
and direct flexion, and having patted the horse,
and eased the hand after each concession, he
changes on to the right diagonals and repeats
the lesson on the left rein, and both reins
together.

If a horse show objection to be turned to
one particular side, say, to the left, he should be
trotted much on the right fore leg, so that the
rider's left hand can work and supple his neck
and jaw on that side.

The right and direct flexion should be
obtained in cantering on the right leg and the
left and direct flexions when on the left leg.
In all these flexions it must be remembered that
the right leg and spur touching the side near
the girth helps the action of the right hand,
and vice versa. When the horse is thoroughly
trained and obedient in all the direct forward
paces, the rider may begin to train him in
the side movements ; he first obtains a direct

56

TRAINING A HORSE

flexion, then plays with the left rein, which
should touch the centre of the neck, the hand
being carried to the right, so as to force him
to move in order to restore his equilibrium ; the
same should then be done to the other hand.
The action of the rider's outside leg should be
intermittent, touching the horse only at the
moment the fore foot of the same side comes to
the ground, and the rider will be careful not to
force the quarters beyond the shoulders which
should always lead.

When the horse does these movements
easily, the rider will gradually alter the bend of
the neck by working more and more on the rein
of the side to which he is moving, until the
horse looks in that direction, the rider being
also careful to look to that side.

In these exercises the rider should raise the
hand holding the rein he wishes to work with,
and drop the other hand. The rein should be
nice and long, and the tension on it upwards
not backwards, so as not to interfere with the
forward movement. In a school this work
should be done with the quarters, not the head,
to the wall, unless the horse happens to be a
puller.

In these movements on two lines the rider
will press in and bend slightly both knees, and

57

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

the outside leg should be ready to compel the
horse to move sideways, whilst the inside calf
and spur should be kept ready to press him
forwards or stop him. The rider's whole
weight should be on the inside seat bone and
thigh.

The horse being thoroughly educated up to
this point, the rider can teach him to go back-
wards, quietly and steadily, by first bending both
knee joints, the body being inclined slightly
forwards, so as to take the weight off the hind
quarters ; and then, when this is answered by a
forward impulse, the hands should take hold of
the impulse and send it backwards, the left being
held steady, whilst the right hand gives short
gentle pulls on the right reins or vice versa ; but
there should be a forward impulse even when
going backwards, and one should always send a
horse forwards again for a step or two after
backing him. When once a horse learns that
by going backwards and getting behind the legs
he can render his rider powerless, he is master
of the situation and will always have his own
way ; and so, as Mr. Fillis says, it should be
Forward on, always Forward on. A horse must
be keen to go forward even when he is backing
in obedience to his rider. There is no pleasure
in riding a slug or a jibber, and so one should

58

TRAINING A HORSE

never let a horse back of his own accord,
or go back faster than is desired ; each step
should be made at the demand of the reins,
and the hands should be eased after each
step.

The rider may now collect him quietly on to
his hocks, and then pivot him slowly round half
a circle, first on his near hind and then on his
off hind. This exercise makes him light in
hand, and horses that bear on the hand should
be given frequent practice in it.

When the horse commences to go backwards
easily, another good lesson to make him light
in hand is to bring back the shoulders only, i.e.,
to bring back the forehand to oneself, as if one
wished to back, and then the moment the horse
commences to move, to yield the hand, and
press him forward.*

As a horse gets suppled by these exercises
the rider will find it gradually becomes easier
for the hand to bring him gently back on to his
hocks in the trot and canter by the direct action
of the reins, whilst intermittent pressure from
the legs applied just behind the girths makes
him brilliant in his action : the lower jaw yields
to the slightest touch of the bit, and the horse

* De la Gueriniere.
59

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

shows pride and animation and yet perfect
obedience to his rider's wishes.

The slow cadenced trot in which there is a
vigorous spring from each pair of diagonals,
called the "Passage" is a strengthening exer-
cise and a nice pace from which to start a horse
into a canter ; it is taught by shortening the
curb reins, hollowing the back, turning out the
toes, closing the knees and the lower part of
the legs lightly against the sides, and animating
the horse gently with each spur alternately as
the fore foot of the same side comes to the
ground, being careful to keep both legs close to
the sides the whole time, and not to alternately
throw each one out and close it, as so many
circus riders do ; the reins should be only
moderately stretched, so as not to take away
from the impulsion. The hands can assist the
horse by giving a light upward pull on the
opposite curb rein as each fore foot comes to
the ground, but many high school riders prefer
to keep their hands perfectly still. The curb
reins are used, as the action of the forelegs
should be high and round, not extended as in
the Spanish trot. If the horse gets sluggish,
he should be stimulated by light touches of
both spurs applied simultaneously without oppo-
sition from the hand.

60

.;'. .;'-:;' '"':'

CHANGING THE LEADING LEG IX THE CANTER.
Instantaneous photograph by M. Delton, photographer, Paris.

[To face p. 61.

TRAINING A HORSE

We may now finish off our hack's education
by teaching him to change his legs in the
canter. To start him on his off fore leg the
rider will collect him on to his near hind leg by
pressing in the left leg, and carrying the hand
slightly to the left, so that the right rein
touches the neck, draws the horse's nose to the
right, and throws his weight on to his near fore
and near hind legs ; then when the near fore
leg is just perpendicular with the ground, he
should close his right leg and press the horse
forward with both spurs, easing the hand as he
jumps off into the canter. The reverse aids
will change him on to his near fore leg. This
exercise is very tiring, and only a few changes
should be made at a time. The rider should
be careful not to bend his body over the leg
he wishes his horse to lead with, as his weight
will make it difficult for the horse to raise
the point of the shoulder. In the early lessons
the horse should be rewarded by the rider slack-
ing the reins as the change of leg is made.

There is one point in connection with
training which must be remembered : the horse
should not be made to carry his head and
neck high and so transfer the greater part of
his weight to his loins and hocks, until he has
been gradually strengthened by long walks,

61

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

trots and gallops ; the hands should at first be
held low, and the collecting pull on the reins
horizontal. Many a case of broken knees has
arisen from the horse being too tired in his
loins to save himself after a stumble.

A good hack should walk, trot and canter
collectedly and slowly or fast as required ; and
a horse must be carefully taught each of these
paces, and to move freely and gracefully with
his head and neck high.

The Walk. — To teach the horse to stride
out in the walk the rider should close in his
legs each time a fore foot comes to the ground,
shorten the reins and carry his hand forward
till the arm is nearly straight, so that their
action does not tend to stop the horse, and
draw the left rein across the neck each time
the right fore foot comes to the ground, and
the right rein each time the left fore foot
comes to the ground.

If a horse is inclined to stumble he can be
taught the Spanish walk and be made to do a
step or two every time he digs a toe into the
ground.

In the trot, say, on the left diagonals, the
right curb rein, which is the balancing rein,
should be held rather shorter and firmer than
the left rein, so as to stimulate the horse to

62

M. Del ton, Paris.)

SITTING AND HANDLING A REARING HORSE.
The rider is Mine. Mayda Atalide, Ecuyere de Hte. Ecole.

[ To face /. 63.

TRAINING A HORSE

hold his head up and turn his nose slightly to
the right; and bending slightly forward, the
muscles of the waist being relaxed, the rider can
stimulate his horse by touching him with both
calves, and if necessary, spurs, applied just
behind the girth, every time he takes the
saddle. In order to get the mouth and action
quite even, it is necessary to vary the leg on
which one trots. Both legs and spurs, the
action of the right slightly preceding that of the
left, applied with steady pressure against the
girth, help to stop the horse when the fingers
are closed on the left and right reins. It should
be noted that when the rider is rising and falling
on the near fore leg in the trot, or when the
horse is cantering leading with the off fore leg,
the right rein drawn slightly across the centre
of the neck does not stop the horse, but causes
him to raise his neck and cadence his pace,
whilst the left rein drawn direct can be used to
prevent him moving to the left, to cause him to
drop his head or to stop him.* In the trot as

* This is because in the trot the left rein brings the head
down to the leg that is on the ground, whilst the right rein
brings it up with the rising leg, the action on the reins being
as the rider takes the saddle ; in the canter the action of
the left rein is helped by the horse having two legs on the
ground at the same time on that side. The effect of drawing

63

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

in all other paces the horse should be stimulated
into throwing himself heartily into his work.
The rider should feel lots of energy under
him.

In the canter, the rider should support the
horse with the legs, and close his fingers on the
reins each time the leading fore foot comes to
the ground, and then ease, so that the horse
can spring, the height of the hands regulating
the pace. In the canter the rider should keep
his chin up and the shoulders back and sit close
to his saddle the whole time so as to keep
his weight off the horse's forehand. When
cantering on the right leg the right curb rein is
the balancing rein, and should be held rather
shorter and firmer than the left rein, the hand
being carried slightly to the left, with an upward
tension on the reins so as to place the horse's
nose over the leading leg. If the rider has
difficulty in getting his horse to start off, say,
with the right leg, he can close his fingers on

a rein across the horse's neck is to carry his weight on to
the diagonal hind leg or opposite fore leg, accordingly as it
touches the neck with a backward tension just in front of
the withers, or with an upward tension in its centre \ and so
enables him to pivot round on the hind leg or cross one fore
leg over the other in side movements or to lead off in the
canter with the fore leg from which the weight is removed.

64

HANDLING A DANGEROUS REARER.
Instantaneous photograph by M. Delton, photographer, Paris.

[To face p. 65.

TRAINING A HORSE

the left reins, and pivot him round two or three
times with the left leg.

Before doing anything with a horse, it is of
the first importance that his energy should be
well aroused by the rider's legs without any
opposition from the hands ; then when the rider
feels plenty of energy and impulsion under him,
his hands can make what use they like of the
horse.

Punishment when necessary should be ad-
ministered by the whip or spurs at the first
moment the horse shows an inclination to do
wrong ; there must not be any hesitation, "bis
dat qui cito dat " ; and when using the whip
the rider should have it in the left hand and be
careful to leave it on the skin after the hit, so
as not to draw the skin and leave a wale. In
every form of " defence," the first thing to do
is to use the legs and spurs or whip held in the
left hand vigorously to drive the horse forwards
whilst easing the hand ; if the horse shows
temper by rearing up, the rider should be care-
ful to lean forwards and ease his hands, and if
there is danger of the horse falling backwards,
he should put his right arm round the neck,
open the left reins well and pull the horse
round to the left, so that if he should q-o over
he may fall on his side instead of upon his back.

65 F

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

THE HUNTER

If a horse and rider have been carefully trained
up to this point, it will require very little
practice to make them both good across
country. It is merely a matter of going to
work quietly and avoiding everything that
would tend to make either of them nervous.
They should not be forced over fences. Easy
places should be chosen, and the horse should
at first be allowed to get over them in the way
he finds most satisfactory to his nerves. Some
like to go fast, others slow, at their fences.
As confidence increases it is easy to gradually
regulate or increase the pace, but, as a rule, it
is best to ride slowly at all kinds of jumps,
provided the rider feels that he has plenty
of energy under him. As much as possible a
young horse should be allowed to choose his
own line and place in a fence, he will then
seldom refuse. If he does so, and the place is
really all right, wait quietly, pressing steadily
in the knees and thighs, and, in some cases,
the legs and spurs also ; talk to him in a quiet,
low tone of voice, and then, when you feel him
willing, let him go, and keep on stimulating
him with the legs, or turn out the toes and
press the spurs in steadily some little way

66

EASING THE HANDS AFTER CLEARING A JUMP.
Principe Capese Zurlo on St. Hubert, winner of the Cup at Hurlingham in 1908.

I To face /. 67.

TRAINING A HORSE

behind the girths till he springs. The hands,
held low and feeling the mouth sufficiently to
collect the horse, should yield the moment the
spring is made, so as to give perfect freedom
to the head and neck. As the horse lands on
the fore feet, the mouth should again be felt
and the legs closed, so as to bring the hind legs
under the body. The rider should be careful
to press the right knee and seat bone down so
as to balance himself and his horse in case of
a stumble on landing, as a horse nearly always
falls on to his left side ; the heels should also
be pressed down.

If a horse dwells at his fences, or does not
get up sufficiently, the rider should raise his
hands slightly, close his fingers firmly on the
reins, and give the horse two sharp determined
blows with the legs and heels, just when he
should take off, so as to drive him against the
bit and make him rise and spring ; the hand
should not be eased till the horse's knees have
been raised high enough to clear the fence,
when he should be given plenty of rein so that
he can stretch his neck, lower his head, and
raise his quarters to clear the fence. If a
horse attempts to refuse when close up to the
fence, it is best to ease the reins, and press in
the spurs firmly, or use a whip in the left hand,

67 f 2

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

as a horse nearly always refuses to the left, as
the slacker the rein the stronger the impulsive
effect of the legs and spurs or whip.

If the rider acts up to these simple rules,
gallops for a good start, gives his horse a
long rein so that he can breathe freely, eases
him over deep ground whilst keeping him
collected by intermittent pressure of the legs,
chooses the best going, and avoids growing
crops, especially roots, clover and beans, turns
with hounds the moment he sees them turn,
does not press them, and stops his horse the
moment he sees them check, he will see the
best of most runs, and help both the master
and huntsman.*

When riding a strange horse that knows his
work, it is best at first to let him have his own
way as much as possible when hounds are
running, provided he gallops on and does not
interfere with the sport, and so find out his
ideas of how to cross the country. Con-
cessions will soon become mutual, and a perfect
combination will be the result.

* If people would only look before they leap, and see
which way hounds are bending, they might often avoid
damaging crops, and keep their position with hounds with
grass or other good ground for their horses to gallop over
instead of heavy plough.

68

TRAINING A HORSE

When riding at a jump the rider should keep
his back supple, press his seat forwards, and
stimulate his horse with the legs to collect himself
and jump with his hind legs well under the body.
When jumping open water or a wide ditch
most horses prefer to lower their necks and
stretch out their noses, so as to enable them to
get their hind legs particularly well under them,
and it is as well not to check this extension.

"To make the horse resolute we should in
the first instance be resolute ourselves. If our
pluck gives way, our aids will be vacillating ;
but if we harden our heart, we shall transmit
confidence to the horse by means of the ' aids/
which in this case should act with vigour and
precision. " * The French have a good plan of
teaching a horse to jump timber : as the horse
jumps over a bar, two men each holding an
end of a smaller bar alongside the one that is
being jumped, raise it so as to rap the horses
shins and make him raise his knees, and tuck
up his feet ; the hind legs are treated in the
same way, and horses soon learn to jump clean.
With regard to the holding of the reins, they
should be long but not loose, so that the horse
has the free use of his head and neck, the little

* James Fillis.

69

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

finger of the left hand dividing the left snaffle
and curb reins, the ends of which are held
between the first and second fingers, whilst the
two right reins pass between the thumb and first
finger and fall through the palm of the hand.

With regard to the seat, the rider should sit
well on the saddle, with his stirrup leathers of
such a length that he can clear the pommel
easily when standing up in his stirrups,* and
he should as much as possible avoid gripping
the horse with the legs, as continual pressure
dulls sensibility. It is by balancing himself on
his seat bones that a rider best maintains his
position in the saddle. Horses go kinder with
men who sit loose, though steadily, than with
those who are always squeezing them ; they also
balance themselves better and are much freer
in their movements. The rider should keep
his limbs and hands supple, and avoid any
contraction of the muscles, except when he
wants to enforce obedience or to immobilize his
horse, and to stop even a hard puller it is gene-
rally sufficient to stand up in the stirrups, close
the fingers on the reins, and to squeeze the
horse with his knees.

* The horse's action and shape to some extent fix the
rider's position, and it is sometimes more comfortable to sit
forward nearer the waist of the saddle.

70

CHAPTER VI

SPECIAL WORK IN THE RIDING SCHOOL

The fancy and artificial paces of the "Haute Ecole"
(equitation superieure).

The artificial paces of the High School are
not a necessity in the training of a hack that is
ridden generally out of doors, but the Spanish
walk and trot are excellent gymnastics ; they
give great freedom to the shoulders and tend
to improve the horses natural paces. The
practical use of high school riding, however,
is to finish off the education of the horseman ;
it teaches him the right, accurate, delicate
use of the aids, and also impresses on him
the necessity of thoroughly understanding the
mechanism of a horse ; without this knowledge
it is difficult to apply the aids at the right
moment, whereas this knowledge, combined
with the suppleness and self-command acquired
from the high school work, enables him to
get increased enjoyment out of riding, and to
master difficult horses without upsetting their
tempers.

7i

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

The Spanish Walk. — " The horse should
not be taught this until his training (as a hack)
is finished. If he becomes accustomed to the
air sooner, it generally happens that at every
demand he commences to extend his fore legs
alternately, an action which may soon become
a regular defence." *

In this pace the horse places his weight,
say, on the near fore leg, raises the point of his
off shoulder, extends the leg horizontally, and
puts his foot to the ground gently as far in
front as possible, the leg remaining straight.
This is an excellent exercise for the shoulders,
it strengthens the fore legs and much improves
the paces of the horse ; it also brings him
under the control of the hand and leg, provided
the rider always insists on the horse raising the
leg that the aids indicate. This is of great
importance, as the main object in any exercise
is to bring the horse under the control of the
rider, and this particular exercise helps to put
it in the power of the rider to start his horse
into a canter on either leg, and to change the
leg when cantering, and in the case of a
stumbler to make him pick his feet up.
To teach the Spanish walk most trainers

* M. Barroil.

72

SPANISH WALK AND TROT

recommend preparatory education on foot.
They place the horse in the pillar reins, fasten a
stirrup leather round the pastern by making a
loop through the buckle, and getting a help to
hold the end of the leather, they tell him to
pull upwards, whilst they touch the canon bone
with a whip, until the horse raises his leg, when
they reward him, and repeat the lesson until
the horse raises his leg on being touched on the
shoulder with the whip, and keeps it stretched
out, without the assistance of the stirrup leather.
The horse is then ready to be mounted, and
guidance by the whip should gradually be
replaced by that of the leg or spur.

Having mounted the horse, the rider should
hold the snaffle reins rather shorter than the
curb reins in the left hand, and raising the hand
to get an upward feeling on the reins so as not
to take away from the impulsion, he should,
after closing both legs, carry it very slightly to
the left and place the horse's weight upon his
near fore leg ; then with an increased feeling
on the right rein, and a touch of the whip on
the off shoulder or pressure from the left leg
when the education is more advanced he will
cause the horse to raise and stretch out his off
fore leg ; and when it is fully extended to the
toe he will press the horse forward with the left

73

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

leg and spur, easing the hand slightly, so that
the horse can advance. At the moment the
foot comes to the ground the opposite aids
should be applied to cause the horse to raise
and extend his near fore leg and advance on to
that foot.

Both spurs should be pressed in if the horse
shows disinclination to work, and if he strikes
the ground with a foot instead of putting it
gently down, he should be immediately pressed
forward with the spurs, and then after a
moment's repose, to allow him to quiet down, he
should be again asked to raise the leg, and be
pressed forward the moment it is fully extended.
He should never be allowed to sink back upon
his hocks ; forward impulsion is essential, and
after the number of steps desired has been
obtained, the reins should be slackened and the
horse pressed forward at a brisk trot.

During the first lessons, and in case of
resistance, it is advisable to hold the snaffle
reins separated between the thumb and first
finger of each hand, the left hand holding the
left rein low, whilst the right hand is raised,
drawing the right rein upwards and towards
the left against the middle of the neck,
indicating to the horse that he should raise and
extend his off fore leg.

74

Y. \

SPANISH WALK AND TROT

When riding a trained horse there should
not be any movement of the hand, the fingers
should do all that is necessary, and both legs
should be kept close to the horse's sides close
behind the girths the whole time, just feeling
him without exerting any pressure when the
moment comes to advance. This exceedingly
light touch of the lower part of the leg and
spur is absolutely necessary in high school
work, and it needs much practice to acquire it*

Delicate work with the leg is done by in-
creasing the pressure of the calves by turning
out the toes whilst still keeping the heels down
and the side of the knees towards the saddle,
and bringing the toes back to their normal
position the instant the horse answers to the
pressure.

Most high school riders when doing fine
work with the spurs drop the toes slightly and
thoroughly relax the muscles and tendons of the
legs and feet. They, as a rule, wear trousers or
soft legged boots, so as to be able to feel the
sides with the back of the ankles. They have
generally their stirrup leathers a hole longer
than for ordinary riding, so that when the spurs

* " Les operations des mains, des jambes doivent etre
assez secretes pour que l'ceil ne puisse les saisir." —

General L'Hotte.

75

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

are touching the sides close behind the girth
where the horse is least ticklish, the thighs and
knees are also in contact with the saddle and
well down on it. They also hollow the back
slightly so as to get thigh and knee pressure,
and leave the legs free for delicate work.

Whilst working his horse the rider should
press his shoulders back and be careful to keep
his own head up, and look straight in front,
not down at the withers.

Most high school riders recommend the
diagonal use of the hands and legs in the
Spanish walk and trot, an upward feeling of
the left rein being taken, to raise the near fore
leg and the right leg and spur being pressed in,
if necessary, to make the horse raise the leg
and advance, and vice versa. Some say that
this alternate action of the legs is really
unnecessary, and that, as the stimulation of the
nervous system is all that is required, they
think it preferable, so as to keep the shoulders
and quarters on as straight a line as possible,
to press in both legs or spurs at the same time,
near the girths, to make him raise his leg and
advance. Anyhow, the alternate use of the
legs should not be noticeable ; both legs should
be close to the horse's sides, and exactly
opposite one another. The hands should also

76

= 2

SPANISH WALK AND TROT

be kept as still as possible, the give and take
coming from the fingers alone ; the reins being
stretched, so as to fix the horse's attention, and
the hands only yielding to the natural extension
of the horse's neck.

It is not advisable to teach hunters the
Spanish walk, as when held back to wait their
turn at a fence, they are very apt to strike out
with their fore legs ; leg pressure is also
required during their training, and as high
school horses are apt to become very sensitive
to pressure of the legs, they must be ridden
very carefully.

As it is necessary to have plenty of impul-
sion in the Spanish walk, it is a good plan to
put the horse into a brisk collected trot, and
then stop him and demand an extension of
each lee, or several such extensions before
easing the reins.

The Spanish Trot is developed from the
Spanish walk by gradually animating the horse
and pressing him forwards, the snaffle rein
being alone used, so that the horse can raise
his head and extend his legs, the aids being
applied in the same way as in the Spanish
walk.

As in high school work the legs are very
much used, it is advisable to have spurs with

77

ANGLO-FRENCH HORSEMANSHIP

short necks, and rowels with five short, sharp
points ; the rider can then press in his legs
without the rowels touching the horse's sides,
unless the toes are slightly dropped.

Those anxious to master the more com-
plicated movements will gain much assistance
from the works of Mr. James Fillis and
Lieutenant de Saint Phalle ; but, for ordinary
riding, a horse is very highly trained if his rider
can at his will get him to walk, trot, canter,
change his legs in the canter, cadence his trot
into the " passage," and extend his fore legs
and perform the Spanish walk and trot.

78

s

APPENDIX

Baucher

In his younger days Baucher had great leg and arm
power, and as he used a good deal of force, he found
that his legs had to counteract the excessive action of
the hands, and vice versa. Later in life he met with
an accident, which deprived him of the use of his legs
to some extent, and being dependent on his hands for
the control of his horse, he set himself to discover how
he might secure obedience to the hand by actions of
the hand, which did not bruise the horse's mouth ; and
he hit upon what he called vibrations and demi-arrets.
He then trained his horses entirely with the hand,
using his spurs merely to stimulate the horse's energy,
and to send impulses forward for the hand to work on ;
and whilst using his legs he ceased the active work of
the hand, as he found that if he used both legs and
hands at the same time the horse stopped instead of
going forward with greater energy. Out of this came
his teaching of " Mains sans jambes et jambes sans
mains," and his attainment of a much higher form of
collection from his horse, which instead of, as before,
being collected between the bit and the rider's legs,
was collected between the bit and his own hind legs,
as is the case when a lady rides, or when a horse
is animated to his utmost in harness. The rider's legs
begin by exciting the horse to go forward keenly and

79

APPENDIX

to bring his hind legs well under him, and then with-
draw themselves and allow the hands to make such
use of the forward impulse as they like.

Trained on this system, a horse goes freely and
without hesitation forward when he feels the touch of
the legs. He arches his neck and collects himself on
to his hocks when he feels a gentle tension on the reins,
and stops when he finds himself enclosed between
the bit and the rider's legs or spurs. He consequently
goes kindly, and has no doubt in his mind as to what
is wanted of him. Under Baucher's system there is
no need for the reins to be absolutely slack when the
legs are in use ; the mouth should still be gently felt,
the reins being slightly eased, but the hands must be
absolutely passive and the grip of the fingers relaxed.
And in the same way whilst the hands are working on
the impulses of the horse the legs should be quite still,
ready to stimulate his energy again the moment the
hand finds it has not sufficient forward impulse to
direct or that the hind legs are not sufficiently under
the body. A horse trained thus, is also a perfect
lady's hack, the lady having simply to press back her
left leg, and then stimulate the horse with her whip,
until he is sufficiently animated, when the leg is with-
drawn and the hand brings a certain amount of the
forward impulse gently back and so balances the horse
and cadences his action.

Ability to work a horse on these principles only
comes after long practice, as it requires exceedingly
delicate use of both hands and legs and a balance on
the horse's back, quite independent of any assistance
from either.

80

APPENDIX

Extract from Bauchers ' Mtthode d* Equitation
basee sur de Nouveaux Principes!

"MAINS SANS JAMBES ET JAMBES SANS MAINS

I AM going to show that the simultaneous employment
of the legs and hands will never give the horse
equilibrium of the first order, or constant balance.
Since the resistances of the lower jaw arise always
from bad distribution of the weight, how can the rider
who employs at the same time the impulsive and the
moderating forces, legs and hands, feel whether his
legs are not opposing the true translation of the weight
controlled by the hand, and vice versa, whether the
hand has not destroyed the nicety of the impulsion
communicated by the legs ? In fact, either the hand
has been just in its action, or it has produced too
much or too little effect. In the first and third cases,
the use of the legs has been more or less hurtful ; in
the second case only, the legs will have corrected the
fault of the hand, and their assistance will have been
opportune.

It is the same in the case of the legs in the first
and third above-mentioned cases ; the opposition of
the hand will be hurtful, and it is only in the third
case that it will be useful in correcting the fault
committed by the legs.

In employing one force at a time, either that of
the legs to give impulsion, or that of the hand to
operate the translation of weight useful for such and
such movement, at whatever pace, the rider can
instantly appreciate the degree of justice with which
he has acted.

8l G

APPENDIX

Extract from ' Le Dressage Methodiqtce du Cheval
de Sellel by one of Bauchers pupils.

II

THE USE OF SPURS
The way to fix the horse in perfect obedience to the aids.

WHEN the training of the horse and rider is finished, it
only remains to make the horse properly sensitive to
the aids, so that the rider need not displace to any
apparent extent the hand or legs in order to com-
municate his wish.

The hand should now avoid every action that
resembles punishment, such as the demi-arrct or even
the vibration. It should only act by gentle and fixed
indications. It should no longer have recourse to
severe measures, except to overcome too prolonged
resistance, if after all such should be offered.

The legs should be placed in contact wirh the hair
of the horse's sides in their natural position, when
there is the necessity to use them. But, to increase
obedience to the pressure of the calves, to rouse the
horse's sensibility, one should act as follows : —

Light touches of the sptcrs : The horse being
thoroughly well acquainted with the uses of the spur,
and enduring its touch without movement of his tail,
when it is necessary to use the legs, one should turn
out the toes and delicately and gently press in one or
both calves ; if the contact does not secure immediate
obedience, the rider should touch the horse with one
or both spurs, according to the necessity of the case.
This application of the spur should be gentle, but at
the same time quick and sudden. In the same way, if

82

APPENDIX

the pace slackens, or if a position indicated by the
rider's legs is abandoned, then a light touch of the
spurs is required.

The legs should fall naturally and should no longer
touch the horse, except when absolutely necessary — as
seldom as possible in fact. After having required by
the hand alone, certain movements, it is necessary, as
the action of the hand always brings the horse back
on to his hocks, in order to prevent the horse from
getting behind the hand, to touch him lightly with
both spurs at the same time.

The principle " Legs without hands and hands
without legs" ought to be adhered to as much as
possible, especially during the early part of training.
It must not, however, be made a system, otherwise
failure is certain. One should confine oneself to
putting it in practice so long as there is no serious
reason to depart from it, but there comes a moment in
the training, and later on in the handling of a trained
horse, when it is necessary, on the contrary, to combine
the effects of the lower aids with those of the upper
ones, legs and hands. Thus, when a horse already well
advanced in his training does not balance himself at a
gentle hint from the hand, one should have recourse to
gentle pressure of the calves, and then if the lower jaw
does not mobilize itself immediately, follow up with a
light touch of the spurs, the prick teaching the horse
that he must obey the leg. In the same way, when
one wishes to stop a horse in the different paces, by
the hand alone, it is necessary that the horse should
first be light in hand and balanced. If the lower jaw
resists the action of the bit, close the legs gently, and
if the horse does not balance himself immediately,
then give a light touch with the spurs before demand-
ing the stop. It is thus that we make a horse really

83

APPENDIX

sensitive to the aids, and we arrive at the art of
managing him without any apparent movement of
either hand or leg. One must, however, be very
moderate in the use of these light spur touches, they
should be given delicately, at the right moment, and
only to enforce obedience, or to arouse energy.

84

AUTHORITIES.

Colonel Dwyer
Mr. Anderson .
Captain Hayes
La Gueriniere .
M. Baucher

. ' Seats and Saddles.'
. ' Modern Horsemanship.'
. ' Riding and Hunting.'
. ' Ecole de Cavalerie.'
. ' Dictionnaire raisonne d' Equi-
tation.'

. ' Methode d'Equitation basee
sur de Nouveaux Principes.'

M. Pellier ' Le Langage Equestre.'

M. Barroil ' L'Art Equestre.'

M. Musany . . . . ' Traite d'Equitation.'
Lieutenant de Saint-Phalle ' Dressage et emploi du Cheval

de Selle.'
M. Fillis ' Breaking and Riding,' trans-
lated by Captain Hayes.

Lieut.-General Sir F.

Fitzwygram ....

MM. Goubaux and Barrier

Capitaine de Champsavin

G. J. Whyte-Melville . .

General L'Hotte, Libraire
Plon, 8, Rue Garan-
ciere, Paris ....

' Horses and Stables.'

'The Exterior of the Horse,'

translated by Simon Harger,

1892.
'Notes sur lTnstruction h.

Cheval,' Imprimerie Emile

Laroche, 22, Rue Gambetta,

Sedan, 1906.
' Riding Recollections.'
' Questions 6questres.'

35

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